The hepatitis C virus (HCV) is the principal cause of non-A, non-B hepatitis and is an increasingly severe public health problem both in the developed and developing world. HCV infection is associated with progressive liver pathology, including cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. Chronic hepatitis C may be treated with peginterferon-alpha in combination with ribavirin. Substantial limitations to efficacy and tolerability remain as many users suffer from side effects and viral elimination from the body is often inadequate. Therefore, there is a need for new drugs to treat HCV infection.